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Quickstart: Connect and query with Azure CLI with Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server

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APPLIES TO: Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server

This quickstart demonstrates how to connect to an Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server instance using Azure CLI with az postgres flexible-server connect and execute single query or sql file with az postgres flexible-server execute command. This command allows you test connectivity to your database server and run queries. You can also run multiple queries using the interactive mode.

Prerequisites

  • An Azure account with an active subscription. If you don't have one, get a free trial.
  • Install Azure CLI latest version.
  • Sign in using Azure CLI with az login command.
  • (optional) Turn on an experimental parameter persistence with az config param-persist on. Parameter persistence helps you use local context without having to repeat numerous arguments like resource group or location.

Create Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server instance

The first thing to create is a managed Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server instance. In Azure Cloud Shell, run the following script and make a note of the server name, **username, and password generated from this command.

az postgres flexible-server create --public-access <your-ip-address>

You can provide more arguments for this command to customize it. See all arguments for az postgres flexible-server create.

View all the arguments

You can view all the arguments for this command with --help argument.

az postgres flexible-server connect --help

Test database server connection

You can test and validate the connection to the database from your development environment using the az postgres flexible-server connect command.

az postgres flexible-server connect \
    -n <servername> -u <username> -p "<password>" -d <databasename>

Example:

az postgres flexible-server connect \
    -n server372060240 -u starchylapwing9 -p "dbpassword" -d postgres

You see similar output if the connection was successful.

Successfully connected to server372060240.

If the connection failed, check the following points:

  • if your server administrator user name and password are correct
  • if you configured firewall rule for your client machine
  • if your server is configured with private access with virtual networking, make sure your client machine is in the same virtual network.

Run multiple queries using interactive mode

You can run multiple queries using the interactive mode. To enable interactive mode, run the following command.

az postgres flexible-server connect \
    -n <servername> -u <username> -p "<password>" -d <databasename> \
    --interactive

Example:

az postgres flexible-server connect \
    -n server372060240 -u starchylapwing9 -p "dbpassword" -d postgres --interactive

You see the psql shell experience as shown here:

Password for starchylapwing9:
Server: PostgreSQL 13.14
Version: 4.0.1
Home: http://pgcli.com
postgres> SELECT 1;
+----------+
| ?column? |
|----------|
| 1        |
+----------+
SELECT 1
Time: 0.167s
postgres>

Execute single queries

You can run single queries against Postgres database using az postgres flexible-server execute.

az postgres flexible-server execute \
    -n <servername> -u <username> -p "<password>" -d <databasename> \
    -q <querytext> --output table

Example:

az postgres flexible-server execute \
    -n server372060240 -u starchylapwing9 -p "dbpassword" -d postgres \
    -q "SELECT 1" --output table

You see an output as shown here:

Successfully connected to server372060240.
Ran Database Query: 'SELECT 1'
Retrieving first 30 rows of query output, if applicable.
Closed the connection to server372060240
?column?
----------
1

Run SQL File

You can execute a sql file with the az postgres flexible-server execute command using --file-path argument, -f.

az postgres flexible-server execute \
    -n <server-name> -u <username> -p "<password>" -d <database-name> \
    --file-path "<file-path>"

Example: Prepare a test.sql file. You can use the following test script with simple SELECT queries:

SELECT 1;
SELECT 2;
SELECT 3;

Save the content to the test.sql file in the current directory and execute using following command.

az postgres flexible-server execute \
    -n server372060240 -u starchylapwing9 -p "dbpassword" -d postgres \
    -f "test.sql"

You see an output as shown here:

Running sql file 'test.sql'...
Successfully executed the file.
Closed the connection to server372060240

Share your suggestions and bugs with the Azure Database for PostgreSQL product team.

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